About This Magazine
Le Journal de Tintin N°494, dated 10 April 1958, combines a striking motor-racing cover with colourful adventure comics. Its cover announces “32 pages en couleurs” and the return of Monsieur Lambique.
The supplied details identify this as an original weekly issue rather than a reprint. Jean Graton’s signed cover and E.P. Jacobs’ back-cover episode provide two contrasting examples of illustrated storytelling.
Jean Graton’s Racing Cover
A large red open-wheel racing car, numbered 18, dominates the foreground. Its driver sits beneath a white helmet, while a yellow car passes beside the pit lane.
A smaller blue car appears farther along the circuit. Mechanics, spectators, flags and a grandstand complete the scene, giving the illustration depth and movement.
The signature “Jean Graton” appears near the lower-right corner. Bright red, yellow and sky blue distinguish the cars and setting without requiring an exact car-model attribution.
A central vertical fold runs through the cover, including the foreground car. This visible feature is included in the condition description.
Jacobs’ S.O.S. Météores!
The back cover presents a colour instalment of “S.O.S. Météores!”, credited to E.P. Jacobs. Rain-filled outdoor scenes give way to a vehicle sequence and interior conversations.
Dark blues, greens and purple shadows create a different atmosphere from the sunny racing cover. This is a serial episode within the magazine, not a complete standalone Blake and Mortimer album.
Chick Bill and Further Adventures
A photographed double-page spread presents “La Maison du Plus Fort”, a Chick Bill adventure. The heading credits Tibet and a scenario by Greg.
Western clothing, expressive figures and oversized sound effects give the strip a lively comic rhythm. Another photographed spread includes cycling and motor-racing scenes, adding further sporting imagery.
“La Lueur Verte” appears beside Jacques Martin’s “La Griffe Noire”. Their distinct settings and colour palettes broaden the issue’s range of adventure material.
Condition
Vintage condition with edge wear, creasing and light paper ageing. The front cover has a prominent central vertical fold, additional handling creases and slight curvature.
All 32 pages are reported present in the supplied details. The cover’s printed page-count announcement is visible, but the complete pagination has not been independently checked.
Please review all photographs for cover folds, margins and interior paper condition.
Key Details
Publication: Le Journal de Tintin
Issue: N°494, 10ème année
Date: 10 April 1958
Language: French
Page count: 32 colour pages, as announced on the cover
Dimensions: 21 × 30 cm
Origin: Belgium, as supplied
Front cover: Jean Graton, motor-racing scene
Back cover: E.P. Jacobs, S.O.S. Météores!
Interior highlights: Chick Bill, La Maison du Plus Fort, La Lueur Verte and La Griffe Noire
Format: Vintage weekly magazine
Condition: Edge wear, cover folds, creasing and light paper ageing
SKU: 2C131
Why It’s Special
The signed racing cover gives this issue a strong motoring theme. Jacobs, Tibet, Greg and Jacques Martin add varied comic artwork, offering several collecting interests within one weekly magazine.
One Royal Art
At One Royal Art, we curate distinctive vintage pieces with care, preserving their character and clearly describing their condition.
